What's wrong with your aquarium? Cloudy water, biological and chemical filtration, fish, (healthy,
dying or murderous), pH and the mysterious buffer are covered in 'Keeping Murphy Out of Your Aquarium' which is presently
out of print for revisions. The medicine section and disease sections were in dire need of an update. The following information is excerpted from the book by Alice Burkhart, which one day she honestly hopes
to get back into print, only better. (This book will save your fish, money and time.) These are small excerpts, for
crises. Hope they help. Happy fishkeeping. (Oh, most of the fish graphics and photos are on Aquarium Info page,
my home page and art page. Publication of photos, graphics, text, articles or information from my pages, whether
on the Internet, or any commercial use requires licensing. Copyright Alice Burkhart, 1999, All Rights Reserved.
Email for licensing information.)

Summary of Contents for the book "Keeping Murphy Out Of Your Aquarium": Contents

My book Keeping Murphy Out Of Your Aquarium includes specific environmental requirements
for tropical community fish suitable for beginners, including: algae eaters, bala sharks, barbs, clown loaches,
corydoras catfish, danios, gouramis, guppies, mollies, otocinclis, platies, plecostomus, rasboras, red-tail and
rainbow (labeo) sharks, silver dollar fish, and tetras. Bettas are labyrinth fish, like gouramis, and have the
same environmental requirements EXCEPT they will not peacefully share a tank with their own species. (In other
words, you may have several gouramis in one tank, but only one betta. Do not put a betta in with your gouramis.)

Specific information on ick, ich, white spot, or by its scientific name ichthyophthirius
is offered. Other parasites, fungi and bacterial diseases are covered in broader terms, with an emphasis on quarantine,
good water quality and common sense.

An introduction to your aquarium.

This introductory document assumes you have purchased a tank setup with an undergravel filter,
because these are the least expensive setups sold; and thousands are sold without instructions. While I use supplemental
external pumps on some of my tanks, all of them have undergravel filters. Undergravel filters work, provided you
follow the rules. Of course, my first tank didn't come with any rules, or any instructions at all. That's why this
page is here, and why 'Keeping Murphy Out of Your Aquarium' was written. Fish gave their lives before I read those
500 page aquarium books. How many fish? I'd hate to guess.

Tank assembly and setup varies. Keeping Murphy Out Of Your Aquarium has a couple of diagrams that may be very
helpful on page 8 and 9. One thing beginners, (and hobbyists returning to their hobby), need to know: De-chlorinate.
As of 1997, you may need a de-chlorinator that breaks chloramine lock to treat city water everywhere in the U.S.
Letting water stand only allows the chlorine to evaporate, it will not break chloramine lock or remove chloramines.

Rinse everything going into an aquarium in clean, clear water. Use no soap, detergent or cleansers
on the tank or anything going in it. Do not put seashells, sand dollars or most sedimentary stones in your freshwater
aquarium. Seashells and many stones will drive the pH up and kill the fish.

If you purchased an aquarium with an external pump, tank assembly will be easier. Live plants
do prefer aquariums without undergravel filters, so if you are planning a heavily planted tank, an external filter
is going to be better. However, a sponge filter and airpump can provide in-the-tank biological filtration that
doesn't bother your plants. In the event of a power outage, a backup sponge filter may keep everyone alive a couple
of hours longer. The biggest advantage to a back-up sponge filter: once it is seeded with bacteria, it can be easily
moved from one tank to another, for quarantine, hospital tanks, etc. A sponge filter can be added at any time,
whether the tank is new, old, has gravel, or is bare.

However, without an undergravel filter, the debris that gathers on the tank bottom will take
longer to be processed. Before you set the aquarium up and put fish in it, you might want to pick up a filter plate
and an inexpensive pump or powerhead to use, in addition to your external filter. It is easier to add an undergravel
filter when there are no fish in the tank.

External filters using carbon or zeolite have a slower, somewhat safer break-in cycle. Risks
with these come later, because when you depend on chemical filtration, you must maintain it. There will probably
be fewer beneficial bacteria to do the work of maintaining water quality. Over time, you may spend more money on
filter cartridges and supplies to maintain water quality. Maintenance
tips for external or non undergravel filters.

The Life Cycle Of Your Aquarium.

New Tank Syndrome: The Break-In Period.

The fish you buy on set-up are all the fish you can add until your biological filter is established,
usually 4 to 6 weeks. A fish added while your tank is in 'Break-In' will die due to sudden introduction to toxic
levels of ammonia or nitrite. Your aquarium will develop two species of beneficial bacteria during break-in. These
bacteria will feed on the ammonia and nitrites, and multiply to fit the food supply. When enough bacteria are present,
ammonia and nitrite test results will show zero, or ideal. When ammonia and nitrite levels are ideal, Break-In
is over.

Your first fish should be 'hardy' species, Keeping Murphy Out Of Your Aquarium has charts on pages 12-14 that define hardy
fish for your water supply.) If you start with hardy fish that are suitable for your water supply, they will probably
survive break-in. During break-in the levels of ammonia and nitrites will rise gradually, allowing your hardy,
suitable fish to get used to them. (Clown loaches, puffers and catfish are not hardy break-in fish.) Tell the pet
store that these will be your first fish, so they have the opportunity to sell you hardy ones. Look for healthy
fish, but remind the person waiting on you that this is a new tank, and listen to their recommendations. At least
one fish must survive from beginning to end. If any fish die, remove them with a clean net, immediately. Do not
add new fish to replace them. Ammonia or nitrite poisoning will cause the fish to appear red around the gills.
They may seem to gasp for 'breath' at the top of the water. Different symptoms may need researched, (start with
the pet store), and treated.

Break-In timing varies. To speed up the process, acquire some gravel or bio-beads from an established
aquarium. Small pet stores with separate tanks may be willing to sell you a fresh bacterial culture from one of
their healthy tanks. Ammonia removing resins or chemicals may slow the process of break-in. Large quantities of
resins or chemicals may make it take as long as 6 months to develop an adequate biological filter. Avoid packaged
bacterial start products that contain enzymes and other chemicals. Their ingredients are an expensive substitute
for break-in that may be less effective in the long run. A research study (that I have wished for the time to properly
conduct) on the Internet
has found one product that contains only the right bacteria as a culture for starting your aquarium, with no enzymes
or heterotrophic bacteria. I have tested FritzZyme 7, in new tanks, and tanks undergoing heavy antibiotic treatments.
It works. It is sold in small pet stores and on Everything
Fishy.(The saltwater version of this product, FritzZyme 9, does
a fantastic job on new marine tanks.)

Without a bacterial culture, you can still develop a healthy biological filter. It usually takes
at least 3 weeks if the tank temperature is at least 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Details on the process of break-in
start on page 23 of Keeping Murphy Out Of Your Aquarium.

If you used no carbon, zeolite, or ammonia removers, 3 to 6 weeks after you added your first
fish the biological filter should be mature. Ammonia and nitrite test results that show zero will confirm it. Do
not add more fish until you have had your water tested for ammonia and nitrites.

Cloudy water may occur for a variety of reasons.
For the first couple of months after setting up your aquarium, the bacteria that process fish wastes will be multiplying
to establish the biological filter. The visual effect is more hazy than cloudy, like a clear distortion in the
water. The tank will clear itself in a day or two, nothing needs to be done. The same thing occurs when biological
filtration has been disrupted for any reason. Enzyme and bacterial start products that you might add to the water,
and certain medicines may also cause a hazy appearance.

White cloudiness may have a variety of causes. Fine air bubbles from a powerhead may give the
water a slightly white appearance. Adjusting the airflow on the pump can eliminate this cause. Contaminants added
to the tank by children, such as flour or milk, would obviously give the tank water a white appearance. When in
doubt, smell the water for clues. Look for foreign objects such as a piece of chalk, etc. A prompt 40% to 50% water
change is advisable, even if the contaminant doesn't seem to be toxic to fish. If the water smells of shampoo,
dish soap, bar soap or bleach, make a bucket of de-chlorinated water and net any living fish out into it immediately.
Turn off the pumps and start siphoning the water out. (Whether you do a water change or a bucket, don't panic,
and be sure to dechlorinate.) See Water Change.

A new aquarium usually has the highest natural pH it will ever have, with all
of its natural 'buffering capacity'. 2 to 3 months after setup, or 30 to 45 days after break-in was completed,
is a good time to do your first partial water change.

A 25% water change and vacuumming 1/4 of the gravel each month should keep your
tank healthy. Always unplug the heater, powerheads and external filters before beginning a water change. Never
change more than 1/2 of your aquarium's water at once. Don't forget to dechlorinate new water. Never pick up the
aquarium and pour water out. (Don't laugh, I know people who have done this.)

Maintenance of aquariums without undergravel filters:

The maintenance instructions that read 'vacuum 1/4 of the gravel per month' apply to u/g's. With
only an external filter, do a 25% water change, rinse the filter cartridges in water removed from the aquarium,
then vacuum 100% of the tank bottom to remove decomposing food and fish waste. Always change your carbon if you
change your floss, sponge or other biological filtration medium. On a dual external pump, change out 1 cartridge
at a time, a couple of weeks apart. Rinse the remaining cartridge in cool, dechlorinated water, to preserve the
beneficial bacteria, and your fishes' lives. Comprehensive information on external filters, media choices, chemical,
mechanical and biological filtration starts on page 34 of Keeping Murphy Out Of Your Aquarium.

Getting your water tested at a pet store is usually free. A 99 cent spiral notebook will give
you a place to write your test results down. Additionally, writing down what species of fish you have in the aquarium
will help you to remember their names when you are showing off your tank to a friend, or when a fish dies and you
need to identify the body. If all of those reasons aren't enough to encourage you to start a log, it is the single
best tool for remembering the setup and last water change dates; identifying how 'ich' got in your tank, or discovering
how long it's been since the city changed your water supply.

My log is my 'second memory'. A 5 subject spiral notebook allows me to keep track of water change
dates and the area of gravel I vacuumed for five tanks, all in one log book. As long as I can read it, it works.

A mature aquarium requires very little care. It's mature biological filter is adequate for large,
healthy fish. If it has been months since any new fish were added, the fish have effectively been quarantined.
They are accustomed to the tank and each other, so little fighting occurs. (Except at spawning time.)

When you have large beautiful fish that are healthy, and the aquarium doesn't look empty, it
may be safest to leave it alone. Feed daily or every other day. Do pH tests once a week, nitrate tests and a water
change once a month. If the pH drops, do some extra water changes. But don't add new fish, with the risk of disease
and parasites they may carry, unless they are very important to you. I wouldn't add any without putting them through
quarantine for at least 10 days in a 10 gallon. The risk is too great, and I get attached to my old friends.

I use a complex formula for stocking, that takes into account the exra ammonia output of larger
fish, but a basic formula of one inch of fish per gallon of water will let you know whether you really have the
biological space. Remember that fish also need psychological space and boundaries in order to feel safe. Fish that
have occupied a tank for a long time will attempt to murder newcomers. Clearing the tank of ornaments and slipping
the newcomers in during a water change may help stop the mayhem, but not the risk of acquired disease or parasites.
Enjoy your healthy aquarium, but when it is full, it is wiser to start a new tank for a "must have" fish.
Instructions for safely starting a second aquarium without waiting weeks to finish break-in are found in Keeping
Murphy Out Of Your Aquarium

The bacteria in the biological filter use oxygen to process fish wastes, and the end of the processing results
in nitrates and carbon dioxide. These are removed by plants, and by water changes. Since the plants don't use much,
skipping maintenance can lead to a build-up of both. Nitrates aren't toxic to fish. Experts are still arguing about
acceptable nitrate levels for aquariums. But carbon dioxide is acidic, it will lower pH. Low pH is harmful to most
fish and the biological filter.

As your aquarium gets older, the accumulation of carbon dioxide in the tank may drop pH a lot
more. The more fish you have in the tank, and the more often you feed them, the more obvious the effect will be.
Weekly pH tests are always a good idea, but if your tank is heavily stocked or over 1 year old, they may be vital.
Also, read this if your plecostomus has died, and the aquarium is covered with green algae. If your tank is full
of fish, your water changes have been every 3 months, and your pH test result was 5.0, don't faint. Everything
is normal considering the circumstances of your aquarium. But most of the fish are at high risk of death if you
make one wrong move. I know, I killed some fish learning this.

A complete list of items that affect pH, and steps to correct the pH without killing the fish are
given in more detail in the book. Here are the basics.

First, test and log your pH, then do a water change of about 20%, vacuuming about 1/4 of the
gravel's surface. Write down the water change and area vacuumed.

Test pH 12 to 24 hours after the water change. If it went up, great. If it went down, your water
supply may lack sufficient carbonates to raise the pH with water changes alone, but read on. (The water changes
will still improve conditions for your fish.)

A 20% water change every 3 days (without vacuuming gravel) should bring your pH gently up into
the normal range, (7.0 to 8.0), within about 2 weeks. If it does not, there are safe steps you can take. DO Not
add a large dose of pH Up or a full tank size dose of pH block or you may kill your fish. Safe steps are described
in detail in Keeping Murphy Out Of Your Aquarium.

Heater testing is done in North Texas, where our temperatures range from lows of -20 to highs of 110, at
different times of year. Room temperature in the winter tends to be 70 to 72 degrees. If your aquarium is
in a room with much cooler temperatures, your tank may need a higher wattage heater than the recommended size.
Warmer room temperatures cause warmer tank temperatures. I unplug my heaters at home in the summer, since the room temp is
kept around 80 degrees. I leave my heaters on during the summer in chilly office buildings.

Heater size is important. I prefer to use 2 smaller heaters rather than one large one, especially on large tanks with
expensive stock. I'm putting a 300 watt heater on this page, but I personally recommend purchasing two 100 to 150 watt heaters,
and putting one at each end of the tank as a failsafe.

The older style 'Hang on Tank' heaters can be very reliable performers, but never place one over
an air stone, or in an area where air bubbles will be bursting around it.
The best heaters still fail some day. (Average lifespan for submersibles that
are totally submersed: about 2 to 3 years for my Acura heaters in use 24 / 7. Visitherm submersibles are in formal testing this year, but I just
threw out a 5 year old visitherm with a 'dead' thermostat, always on or always off. Since it was used sporadically, I don't
consider that a test.)

Safety tips:Never plug a heater in until it matches tank temperature. Never remove a heater from water immediately after unplugging it. Wait 20 minutes.
Never plug a heater in when you will not be at home to be sure it turns itself off. If you see water inside the glass tube, unplug the heater. Wait 20 minutes before removing
it from the aquarium.More heater tips can be found in Keeping Murphy Out of Your Aquarium.The following table may
help you to choose the correct TOTAL heater wattage for your aquarium in YOUR location:

A good quality fish food should have 35% to 40% protein, and most of that protein should come from: fish.
I've had problems with Wardley causing excessive algae in tanks, even though the label reads great, the fish
don't eat it, and what they don't eat can cause cloudy green water and excessive algae growth. So I don't carry
Wardley. I carry only one brand of feeder blocks, because those haven't killed any fish, even when I got brave and dropped
a small one in a marine tank for a 4 day weekend. Fish ate it, no ammonia / nitrite spike, works for me. So the
feeder blocks are Aquatrol, and there isn't any Wardley. Hikari is good, but the phosphate level in algae pellets
can greatly contribute to a cyanobacteria problem. If you've got Cyano, cut the pellets back and use a phosphate remover
just to see what happens. For now Hikari will be special order, as I am re-stocking the store with all fresh foods.
Let's see, other tips. Most people over-feed their fish. Never mind what the jar says, once a day is fine.
And pond foods, well outdoor pond fish are getting part of their protein from bugs, so anything over 30% that doesn't
grow much algae will be fine. I like Ginger, I'm feeding their flake to my own and service aquariums, and a lot of pond
fish are on their pellets. Their products are made in USA, not super cheap but as good a quality as
I've seen from Tetra at a lower price, and they are much better than Wardleys. Happy New Year and welcome back.
I'm glad we are finally getting the site cleaned up.

The book "Keeping Murphy Out of Your Aquarium" contains:

Back cover, text reads:

Section I: For Beginning Fishkeepers,

Planning an aquarium that's right for your home.

Shopping lists for set-up and afterward.

Tank set-up instructions and diagrams.

When and How to do a water change, with diagrams.

Information on popular tropical fish.

Protecting your 'eco-system'.

First aid, for many things.

Glossary of terms.

Index.

For More Advanced Fishkeepers:

Filtration: How different filters work.

The nitrogen cycle, the aging aquarium.

Limiting the introduction and spread of disease.

Technical information on the buffer and pH changes.

First aid: parasites, diseases; remedies and medicines.

Disasters: Dealing with non-disease causes of fish death.

Moving with an aquarium, Shortcut to a second aquarium.

As of January 2007, this page is still under construction. All material is copyright 1999 - 2007 by Alice Burkhart, All Rights Reserved.

I'm accumulating new data for the next edition, which I hope to get time to write, sometime this
year. I'm still discovering new problems in aquarium-keeping by answering fish questions over the Internet, maintaining
many tanks, and exploring new products. Some unformatted tips that came out of my email are on the FishNote page . Keeping Murphy Out Of Your Aquarium is Copyright 1997,
1998 by Alice Burkhart, All Rights Reserved. Cover Photos by Andrew M Burns. The information on this page is introductory.
The book has 74 pages of solid text to get you started in fish-keeping. Please order a copy. AB